This invention relates to a door safety device. It relates particularly to a device for fitting at the hinge side of a door and door frame in order to reduce the risk of injury to a child's fingers if they should attempt to enter this space.
When a door is in the open position, the hinge side of the opening between the door side and the door frame offers a gap into which a young child's hand or fingers can very easily be inserted If the door should then be closed, possibly by another child or by the pressure from a draught of wind, there is a serious risk that the hand or fingers will become hurt or badly damaged. In time, of course, any child will learn that the gap at the edge of a door that is being closed is a dangerous area in the home and any fingers should be kept well away from this zone. However, the younger child will not be aware of this risk and may suffer a crushed finger.
There have been attempts already to overcome this problem and patent No. GB2306538 discloses a shield device for fixing at the hinge side of a door and door frame combination. This device is effective for doors of the standard hinged kind as well as doors with the rising butt type of hinges and doors mounted on pivot hinges. The construction described is effective for most domestic doors since these usually open through an angle of 90° or possibly up to 140°. There is, however, additionally a need to provide a door safety device which will be effective on doors which open through a wider angle such as up to 180°.
I have now devised a door safety device which is intended to provide a single shield effective to protect both types of doors, those opening up to 140° and those opening beyond this angle.